I'm officially calling this the summer of Carley Fortune! Not only are we eagerly awaiting the Canadian author's latest lakeside romance, Our Perfect Storm(out May 5), but The Hollywood Reporter announced on March 19 that This Summer Will Be Differentis headed to Netflix for a 10-episode series. I couldn't be happier!
As a romance super fan who has read all of Fortune's novels, I can confidently say that This Summer Will Be Different is my favorite of them all. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? Grab it while it's on sale!
Here's the gist: Five years prior, Lucy arrived on Prince Edward Island for a girls' trip with her best friend, Bridget, who grew up on the island. When Bridget's flight got delayed, Lucy decided to explore the island on her own and ended up spending an unforgettable night with Felix, who she later learns is none other than Bridget's brother. To make matters worse, Bridget has made it explicitly clear that Lucy isn't to fall for him, so she's forced to push her feelings aside in order to appease her friend. Years later, Lucy is called back to the island in the weeks before Bridget's wedding, she reunites with Felix, sending their unspoken feelings hurtling back.
While all of Fortune's books are beautiful romances packed with descriptions of summers spent at the lake and swoon-worthy declarations of love, This Summer Will Be Different has earned a special place in my heart because it's as much a romance as it is a novel about friendship and the things we'll do for those we love most. Plus, it's bursting with lush descriptions of food (I highly recommend it if you love oysters!) and flowers. It truly reads like a gorgeous ode to Prince Edward Island, and I couldn't get enough.
“I fell in love with Prince Edward Island first in the pages of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gablesand again when I visited with my best friend in my early twenties," Fortune announced in a statement. "That vacation, the beauty of the island, the warmth of its people, and the friendships that sustain us—are the foundation of This Summer Will Be Different. I’m thrilled to bring this sweeping love story to the screen with Netflix and to transport audiences to the glittering shores and windswept beaches of PEI."
Of course, this isn't the only Carley Fortune book headed to the screen. Poised to be the perfect void filler for The Summer I Turned Pretty fans, Every Summer After (Fortune's debut novel) is headed to Amazon later this year under the title Every Year After. Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's media company is in talks to turn Meet Me at the Lake into a Netflix movie.
Whether you're someone who likes to stay on top of the latest page-to-screen adaptations or are looking for the perfect place to start with Fortune's work, I've rounded up all of her books to shop below.
Madison McGee is a commerce editor at Hearst Magazines. For the past year, she has contributed shopping content, gift guides, product testing, and deals coverage across Hearst’s portfolio, which includes Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Men's Health, House Beautiful, Elle, Town and Country, Esquire, Country Living, Oprah Daily, and more. Prior to joining Hearst, she was a staff writer at BuzzFeed and worked in book publishing. Madison is a graduate of the University of Mississippi’s journalism program, and holds a Masters in Publishing from New York University. When she’s not scouting out the best deals, she can be found reading, cheering on the Baltimore Ravens, or exploring New York City’s indie bookstores.
